1. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
If you want to impress all that you come into
e-mail contact with and build positive
business relationships, pay attention to your
e-mail and avoid the following mistakes ...

2. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 1: Omitting the Subject Line
q With the huge volume of e-mail that we send and
receive everyday, the subject line is essential if you
want your e-mail to be noticed and read.

3. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 2: Not Making Subject Line Meaningful
q Your e-mail is going to have lots of competition and
the reader is going to decide on the order in which
he will read his e-mails based on who sent it and
what it is about.
q Your subject line should be related to your message
and specific. Don’t just put “Hi”, “Hello” or
something generic.

4. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 3: Failing to change the header to correspond
with the subject
q If the topic of your email changes when you reply,
your subject line should also change. This makes it
easier to refer back to in the future.
q You can also choose to start a new message
altogether.

5. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 4: Not personalizing your message to the
recipient
q E-mail, although less formal, still needs a greeting,
especially if we are sending external e-mails to
clients.
q Begin with “Dear Mr/Mrs xxx”, “Dear Jane/John”,
“Hello Jane/John”, or just “Jane/John”.
q Failure to put in the person’s name could make you
and your e-mail seem cold and impersonal.

6. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 5: Not accounting for tone of the message
q Since there is no face-to-face or verbal contact, the
recipient of your e-mail has no visual or vocal cues
to gauge your reaction or your intention.
q Choose your words carefully so that you are not
misinterpreted.
q Avoid sending jokes or sarcastic remarks because
these might be taken the wrong way.

7. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 6: Forgetting to check spelling & grammar
q Spell-checking functions will only catch misspelled
words but not misused ones, so always proofread!
q All communication, whether verbal or written, is a
representation of you. If your e-mail is full of flaws,
people will question the caliber of the other work
that you do.

8. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 7: Writing too lengthy messages
q E-mail is meant to be brief and concise.
q Use only a few paragraphs and a few sentences per
paragraph because the reader usually just skims
through the message.
q If you find yourself writing an overly long message,
pick up the phone or call a meeting.

9. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 8: Forwarding e-mail without permission
q If the message was sent only to you, why should
you take the responsibility of passing it on?
q Too often, confidential information has been leaked
because of thoughtless forwarding of messages.
q Unless you are asked to forward it or you have
asked permission to do so, refrain from forwarding
anything that was sent to you alone.

10. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 9: Thinking no one else will read your e-mail
q Once your e-mail has left your mailbox, you don’t
know who’s going to read it or where else it will
end up.
q Don’t send anything that can be used against you or
embarrass you.
q Use other means to communicate personal or
sensitive information.

11. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 10: Leaving out your signature
q Always close with your name and your position,
even if it already appears at the top of the e-mail.
q Also add contact information such as your phone,
unit/branch, fax, address because the recipient may
want to contact you or send you documents that
cannot be e-mailed.
q Avoid adding cute or inspirational messages to your
business signature block.

12. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 11: Expecting an instant response
q You don’t know when the recipient of your e-mail
reads his messages so don’t post “action or else”
messages.
q If you need feedback right away, pick up the phone.

13. The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
l Mistake # 12: Completing the “To” line first
q This should be the last item that you fill up. If you
enter the recipient’s name first, a mere slip of your
finger could send the message out before it’s time.
q If you leave the “To” line blank, and inadvertently
press “Send”, it will not go out of your mailbox.
q Check the body of the message carefully first for
correct grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity.
q Check for any attachments that you need to
include.